According to a police report obtained by the Colorado Springs Gazette, the woman in question -- who'd wound up on parole as a result of a past drug-possession beef -- was assigned to Cruz in February of last year.
Any positive urinalysis would have sent her behind bars for an extended stretch, so when she was subsequently spotted at a bar after an established curfew, she feared the worst. But no: After she proved she hadn't been drinking, Cruz chose not to bust her.
Did he have ulterior motives? The woman told police he showed up at her house one July day with oral sex on his mind -- and this act led to more trysts at hotel rooms, not to mention plenty of phone calls throughout the day. She suggested that the tension caused by this relationship prompted a return to booze and meth. Cruz didn't report her for these infractions, either, but he allegedly made it clear that if she tried to end their get-togethers, he could always tell a judge about her lapses, as well as prevent her from seeing her son.
How did she get out from under this situation? The Gazette reports that she captured one of her sessions with Cruz on video, then turned to a fellow parolee for advice. This second woman shared the tale with her own probation officer, who in turn ran the allegation up the chain.
At this point, there's no telling if Cruz's decision to resign as a probation officer last September had anything to do with this chain of events. Afterward, he signed on as tennis coach at Pueblo's Central High -- but he was put on administrative leave last month "at the recommendation of Colorado Springs Police," writes the Gazette.
Cruz surrendered to authorities this week and was released on a $25,000 bond -- raising the prospect, if the charges against him are proved, that he may be dealing with a probation officer of his own in the future.
Here's a larger look at Cruz's booking photo.
Follow and like the Michael Roberts/Westword Facebook page.More from our Prison Life archive: "Jeffrey Wells, parole officer, accused of forgery to keep arrestees in jail longer."
